Our Wizard Friend; αμαυρωμένος φίλος; विन्डस्पीकर | N Male Human Wizard (Scroll Scholar) (Diviner) 12 | HP: 90/90 | Magic | Perception +35, Sense Motive +18 | Speed 30 | AC: 27 (T 17, FF 21) | CMD: 31 | F +8, R +12, W +13 | Init +23 | Resist 10 acid, cold | Active Effects: detect scrying, fortification 50%, endure elements, mythic mage armor,statue, darkvision, freedom of movement (13/13 rounds remaining); 1 Reroll
The Witness Witnessed: Part II:
As The Witness enchants his senses to perceive the invisible, he notes through his sensor that his double does the same. He pauses, and watches as his double conjures illusions of itself exactly as he'd planned to. At best, this double is following the same philosophy as me. If it's hostile, time is of the essence - best to accelerate my arrival.
Changing his tactics, The Witness casts a summoning spell, reaching across the planes to pluck a random member of the species he desires - in this case, a hound archon - from it's home plane and materialize it next to him.
(Celestial) "Please cast aid on me, then I'm teleporting us into likely danger."
Once the archon has complied, he touches the canine celestial's shoulder and uses his newfound link to the mountain to transport them adjacent to his double.
Round 1: see invisibility; Round 2: summon monster iv; Round 3: archon - aid:1d8 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9, Witness - dimension door him and archon to be adjacent to pseudo-Witness.
You wrack your brain, thinking back through all your lessons on the various types of undead, but can't think of one that quite fits. It's flesh looks like a zombie, but the way it looks around and moves it seems to be intelligent and not so slow as a zombie... buts the way its eyes glow and the subtle aura of darkness that hangs about it seem almost like a shadow...
You think this is probably a unique undead creature that combines some aspects of a zombie lord (an intelligent zombie that retains some memories/class abilities) with a more direct connection to the negative plane like a shadow (possibly including some kind of energy draining ability).
You translocate yourself and the archon to opposite sides of the other you, or the cluster of seven other yous. They seem poised to cast another spell...
Cleric 13 (Theologian) HP:149/149 AC:28 TO:17 FF:23 F:15 R:13 W:19 Percept:+30 Sense Motive:+28 Init:+7 Fire Resist:20 CMD:16 Active effects: . mailbox paid until Tower day:63
Bitter Oolong:
Seeing what little effect the icy blast had on his foe, Gavin switches his tactics a bit. Employing the rod again, he calls forth another elemental blast, using acid this time.
casting intensified fireball and converting it to acid.
Male NG Orc Inquisitor 10 Champion 1 | HP 121/121 | AC 24 T 16 F 22 | CMB +13, CMD 25 | F: +12, R: +8 W: 15 | Init: +5 | Perc: +18, SM: +23 | Speed 20ft | Bane: 16/16 | Judgement 4/4| Discern Lies 11/11 | Mythic Points: 5/5 | Spells: 1st 7/7 2nd 5/5 3rd 5/5 4th 3/3 | Active conditions:
Conflict:
Fenrick finishes up his clairvoyance of the enemy shaking his head. This place is trying to make a mockery of me?
He lets this anger take over as part of his first buff spell. Wrath agaisnt undead flows through him. Casting Wrath with selecting undead as the first round
He then asks Pharasma for her favor in eleminating this undead monster. Casting Divine favor as the second round.
Lastly, he prays for the vigor into his limbs needed in the ensuing combat . Casting Channel vigor as my third round.
Fenrick is finally ready for a combat with the enemy and casts dimension door to take him 10 feet from the enemy. Standard action to cast dimension door and must end my turn.
The other you seems not to have any resistance to acid and he scowls in the aftermath of your blast. Striding up through the air as if there were an invisible staircase, he closes the distance with you casts an inflict critical wounds spell as he reaches out to grab you…
Without taking time to sort through his magical auras you can’t be certain but, if the other you’s brief scowl is any indication, your attempt to dispel his spell was likely successful. He steps diagonally away from you so that he remains adjacent to the archon but there is now a gap between him and you. His hands are raised and poised to cast something, but he pauses and asks, ”what peaceful purpose brought you here with spells already flying, deceiver?” he asks.
The hound archon, apparently satisfied that you have entered into peaceful discourse, as was you stated intention upon arrival, keeps his sword at the ready but relaxes its aggressive stance.
back to you…
Lyra:
Your blade flexes as you pull it upward and pops out of the creature without seeming to inflict any further damage. It looks at you with unbelievable hatred and continues to stab angrily at you.
Our Wizard Friend; αμαυρωμένος φίλος; विन्डस्पीकर | N Male Human Wizard (Scroll Scholar) (Diviner) 12 | HP: 90/90 | Magic | Perception +35, Sense Motive +18 | Speed 30 | AC: 27 (T 17, FF 21) | CMD: 31 | F +8, R +12, W +13 | Init +23 | Resist 10 acid, cold | Active Effects: detect scrying, fortification 50%, endure elements, mythic mage armor,statue, darkvision, freedom of movement (13/13 rounds remaining); 1 Reroll
The Witness Witnessed: Part IV:
"I seek to attenuate myself to the Tower of Ages, and believe you seek to counter my goal. Can we not achieve synthesis through logic and discourse rather than brute opposition?"
Ready action to cast haste on self and archon if double casts, attacks, or flees Summon round 4 of 9 Sense Motive:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26 Is this thing just stalling for time?
"I believe only one of us can pass through this portal..." the other you answers slowly as he floats another step away from you and from the archon, "unless you have some means of opening it?"
He seems to also be readying an action to cast a spell, so largely it appears to be a game of cat and mouse right now (and he obviously wanted to get out of reach of the archon before casting)... but he is you so he's obviously also aware that spell duration are ticking by as you talk, and stalling may be a welcome perk to the current situation.
Our Wizard Friend; αμαυρωμένος φίλος; विन्डस्पीकर | N Male Human Wizard (Scroll Scholar) (Diviner) 12 | HP: 90/90 | Magic | Perception +35, Sense Motive +18 | Speed 30 | AC: 27 (T 17, FF 21) | CMD: 31 | F +8, R +12, W +13 | Init +23 | Resist 10 acid, cold | Active Effects: detect scrying, fortification 50%, endure elements, mythic mage armor,statue, darkvision, freedom of movement (13/13 rounds remaining); 1 Reroll
The Witness Witnessed: Part V:
"Allow me to take a look." With a purely mental effort he once again attunes himself to magic once and begins to study the portal. "While I do so, a question: Who or what are you?"
Activating identify SLA, will try to keep both the portal and my double within the area of effect.
Summon round 5 of 9 Knowledge (?):1d20 ⇒ 3+15 to +18 to recognize creature
From your current vantage point it is impossible to observe both the other Witness and the stone arch simultaneously. So, you activate your ability while still looking at him and then pan your view over to the archway. "I am you," he answers matter of factly, "or, perhaps, some aspect of you drawn from your subconscious and made manifest within this construct because in some manner my subjugation, or sublimation, is essential to your attunement. Or, perhaps I am you as you must become in order to attain attunement."
The other you seems fully human to your normal senses, though you now note that he radiates the same melange of powerful auras as everything else in this place. The archway, likewise, is a magical construct like the others you have encountered.
SO, you did mess up the dispel check, I think. I'm not seeing where you got a +5 from, it should just be 1d20+caster level; however, even with that change...
Your spell sends the other you drifting back down to the floor. He snarls in anger and casts the same spell right back at you...
dispel:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14
...but with no effect. Oolong glides down and slashes at him again.
The other you's armor grows tarnished as you allow the power of decay to flow through you and break it down. He seems not to really notice as he steps away from Oolong and casts deeper darkness.
Your light spell is insufficient to counter the supernatural darkness and the chamber is now so pitch black you cannot see even with darkvision. If you want to try anything to get rid of or overcome it, or to throw any AoEs, feel free. Otherwise, you can hear him cast a couple cure spells and then he's just going to wait for angelic aspect to wear off before he dismisses the darkness and tries the fight again with you on the ground. (You can't use the decay power on him in the dark, unless you can give yourself darkvision, because it requires LoS- the downside to not needing an attack roll.) You can post a handful of actions if you want, or just let me know if/when you want to jump ahead to the darkness vanishing.
Lyra:
You take a step back out of the creature's reach and then jump across a stretch of shoal to a safe distance. The creature howls again and begins shambling angrily towards you...
It covers about half the distance. You're fairly confident that you could make a ranged attack (or other standard action) and back up this round and remain out of reach until your next turn. Also, the sickened condition ends.
You chop your heavy sword down hard on the creature, cleaving open a giant gash across its chest. It makes a terrible shrieking sound that pierces beyond your ears to unsettle your spirit. DC 20 Will or shaken.
Raising its own blackened, bloodied falchion, it hacks at you twice.
When the first blow bites into your flesh, you can feel the draining touch of negative energy that accompanies it, but your blessing of repose spares you from its effect. You're up.
The creature howls in rage as you disappear once more as it draws near, and it continues to charge down the shoal after you.
Go ahead and make 2 more attack and damage rolls following that pattern. This creature is obviously not clever, but it isn't mindless either, so after two more free attacks it'll change its tactics some.
Your second blast strikes the pestilential corpse squarely in the chest and, with a thoroughly unpleasant crunch, knocks it off its feet. Like the items encountered in the chambers, it turns into a vapor and quickly dissipates. Down the shoal, barely visible, a dark energy like the portals you passed through before springs into being in the stone archway...
The other you cast cure critical wounds on himself and then dismisses the magical darkness, prompting Oolong to slash at him again.
healing:4d8 + 9 ⇒ (1, 6, 3, 8) + 9 = 27
Our Wizard Friend; αμαυρωμένος φίλος; विन्डस्पीकर | N Male Human Wizard (Scroll Scholar) (Diviner) 12 | HP: 90/90 | Magic | Perception +35, Sense Motive +18 | Speed 30 | AC: 27 (T 17, FF 21) | CMD: 31 | F +8, R +12, W +13 | Init +23 | Resist 10 acid, cold | Active Effects: detect scrying, fortification 50%, endure elements, mythic mage armor,statue, darkvision, freedom of movement (13/13 rounds remaining); 1 Reroll
The Witness Witnessed: Part VI:
"Fascinating."It realizes and admits the likelihood it's a construct based on me, which points to a similar level of intelligence. Now to determine if it's an aspect of myself I must overcome, or a version of myself I must achieve. It's behavior thus far indicates a confrontational nature, which may simply be an aspect of it's function rather than one drawn from myself; and while it's willingness to discourse indicates an inquisitiveness similar to my own, it's immediate reaction was to accuse me of deception. This has put me in the weaker, defensive position socially. Perhaps the trial is to develop my interpersonal skills - indeed, if I can't even convince myself of something, what hope have I of influencing others? Of course, the social theories of Deltet hold that humans tend to project their own ethical and moral shortcomings onto others. Under this theory, I'd infer this construct is, itself, deceptive - perhaps an incarnation of my own desire for stealth and anonymity taken to an extreme.
In either event, whenever possible I prefer to maneuver around obstacles rather than destroy them. I'll attempt a resolution which assumes both of my postulates to be true.
"My theories are similar to your own. You seem possessed of my intellect, and so I present you this conjecture: If only one of us may pass through the portal, it will never be you. Destroying me would destroy the source of your existence, thus ending your own existence as well. In this case, if our goal is for at least one of us to progress, the logical action is to destroy yourself, allowing me to progress forward with the maximum amount of remaining resources."
A noticeable crack opens in the armor of the other you. He looks at it in shock and then snarls, "What?!? How did you..." He quickly abandons his line of questioning, however, in order to step away from Oolong and cast another spell. It is one with which you are quite familiar, fireball, although, much to your disappointment, he seems to be using a metamagic feat with it...
The other you's eyes narrow at you theory and the resultant proposal. "A counter-postulate..." he rebuts with some annoyance, "a thing, once created, rarely remains dependent upon its source for continued existence. The fact that I was born of you and the magic of this place presents a stronger case for my being the attuned version of us. You then, would be the vestige of us as we were before attuning, which must be left behind in order for our attuned form to emerge. The logical action, then, is to destroy yourself, allowing me to progress forward with the maximum amount of remaining resources."
Our Wizard Friend; αμαυρωμένος φίλος; विन्डस्पीकर | N Male Human Wizard (Scroll Scholar) (Diviner) 12 | HP: 90/90 | Magic | Perception +35, Sense Motive +18 | Speed 30 | AC: 27 (T 17, FF 21) | CMD: 31 | F +8, R +12, W +13 | Init +23 | Resist 10 acid, cold | Active Effects: detect scrying, fortification 50%, endure elements, mythic mage armor,statue, darkvision, freedom of movement (13/13 rounds remaining); 1 Reroll
The Witness Witnessed: Part VII:
"A sound theory, but one I believe incorrect - it's much more likely your animus is a projection of my own psyche rather than a separate and self-sustained sentience."Perhaps a projection of my inquisitiveness amplified to contrariness?"On a personal level, if the Tower is parasitic in nature - simply extracting what it deems as valuable from Seekers and absorbing it - I have no wish to participate in being Its prey.
"It seems our trust in our own reasoning over another's demands a more violent resolution. A pity."
The Witness completes an incantation as he rapidly 'walks' the index and middle finger fingers of his right hand alongside one another, enhancing the speed and reflexes of himself and his archon assistant. He draws upon the metamagic rod in his left hand, its power extending the duration of his spell.
(Celestial) "We attack." He moves forward, attempting to position himself adjacent to his double such that the archon can flank it.
Summon round 7 of 9
Standard: casting haste, extending with metamagic rod; Move: moving into possible flanking position against enemy; Swift: none; Free: speaking.
As you begin to cast, so to does your double. To your consternation, he weaves together a slow spell which he uses to counter your haste. Still, you quickly close the distance and take up position next to him as you command the archon to attack. A look of confusion overcomes it, but it rushes forward into a flanking position, sword once again at the ready.
The other you, as he did before, steps away from you to one side of the archon and attempts to cast a spell defensively...
concetration:1d20 + 15 ⇒ (5) + 15 = 20
...but, much to your delight, fails to do so.
I'm treating that as a surprise round for the archon since he thought you had moved on to peaceful discourse, that's why he moved but didn't attack this round. Feel free to roll his attack(s) for next round when you post (remembering to account for the mirror images).
Our Wizard Friend; αμαυρωμένος φίλος; विन्डस्पीकर | N Male Human Wizard (Scroll Scholar) (Diviner) 12 | HP: 90/90 | Magic | Perception +35, Sense Motive +18 | Speed 30 | AC: 27 (T 17, FF 21) | CMD: 31 | F +8, R +12, W +13 | Init +23 | Resist 10 acid, cold | Active Effects: detect scrying, fortification 50%, endure elements, mythic mage armor,statue, darkvision, freedom of movement (13/13 rounds remaining); 1 Reroll
The Witness Witnessed: Part VIII:
The Witness mimics his double's casting but not its target, drawing again on his metamagic rod to extend his spell's duration as he attempts to reduce his double's metabolism and physical function to a fraction of its normal rate. Hopefully his physical form is truly biological in nature, and not simply an outward facsimile. He attempts to shift his position after casting in order to provide his impressed archon servant an advantage, keeping his altered maw at the ready to strike if his double should misstep...
The archon obliges, stepping up and swinging at the floating mage-thing with his greatsword.
Summoning round 8 of 9
The Witness
Standard: casting slow, targeting double: Will DC19, Move: 5-ft step to set up flanking position; Swift: none; Free: none.
The Archon
Full-Round: 5-ft step to complete flank, full attack against double; Swift: none; Free: none.
female human vigilante 13 | HP 144/144 | AC 35 T 21 F 28 | CMB +21, CMD 35 | F: +10, R: +21, W: 13 (+2 vs disease/fear,+4 vs sleep/paralysis) | Init: +11 | Perc: +17, SM: +17 | Speed 60ft | 6/7 mythic | 6/6 1st | 5/5 2nd | 5/5 3rd | 4/4 4th | 1/1 5th | Active Conditions:greater false life(23), defending bone, status(gavin,witness), ward of the season(summer), ride the waves [all 11 hours], lucky number(18),fly, herosim, featherstep, ward of the season(spring +10 speed)
poof and left over ouch:
Lyra wants to give a cry of triumph but she fears to wait at all on that portal, so she dashes toward it. Dooring as quick as she can. In her mind she is thinking, "I wish my wounds had poofed away as well" then she jumps through.
Your double smirks when you stop to heal yourself. Encouraged by his success he steps away from Oolong and tries again, thankfully with a normal fireball this time.
fireball:9d6 ⇒ (4, 1, 4, 3, 6, 4, 1, 6, 2) = 31 DC 19 Ref for half
Oolong continues to follow him around the room slashing at him with his scimitar.
oh man, he only missed by 1 that time. You're up...
Witness:
The other you does a respectable job of remaining stoic but is clearly unhappy with the current state of affairs as two of his mirror images are destroyed and he is suddenly slowed. He once again attempts to cast a spell on the defensive...
concentration:1d20 + 15 ⇒ (1) + 15 = 16
...and grits his teeth in frustration as that spell fails as well.
Now that the angrier version of you understands what you're doing, he seems thoroughly unhappy about what you're doing. Gritting his teeth, he steps away from your ghostly companion and launches another fireball at you.
fireball:9d6 ⇒ (6, 5, 3, 1, 6, 1, 3, 2, 6) = 33 DC 19 Ref for half
Oolong steps forward to close the gap and continues slashing away...
attack:1d20 + 11 ⇒ (12) + 11 = 23 for:1d10 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12
Finally hitting! Armor's down to 10 hp, and you're up.
Our Wizard Friend; αμαυρωμένος φίλος; विन्डस्पीकर | N Male Human Wizard (Scroll Scholar) (Diviner) 12 | HP: 90/90 | Magic | Perception +35, Sense Motive +18 | Speed 30 | AC: 27 (T 17, FF 21) | CMD: 31 | F +8, R +12, W +13 | Init +23 | Resist 10 acid, cold | Active Effects: detect scrying, fortification 50%, endure elements, mythic mage armor,statue, darkvision, freedom of movement (13/13 rounds remaining); 1 Reroll
The Witness Witnessed: Part IX:
Deciding to press his advantage in melee for the short time he has it, The Witness bites at his double while the archon continues its own attacks. Before the summoned celestial disappears back to his home, the wizard addresses it.
Your double's armor crumbles and falls in pieces off of him. He snarls in rage and shouts, "Get down here and face me, you coward!" He charges past Oolong to get under you, leaving him open to your ghostly companion's attack.
Male NG Orc Inquisitor 10 Champion 1 | HP 121/121 | AC 24 T 16 F 22 | CMB +13, CMD 25 | F: +12, R: +8 W: 15 | Init: +5 | Perc: +18, SM: +23 | Speed 20ft | Bane: 16/16 | Judgement 4/4| Discern Lies 11/11 | Mythic Points: 5/5 | Spells: 1st 7/7 2nd 5/5 3rd 5/5 4th 3/3 | Active conditions:
Ouch:
Fenrick smiles as his attack lays into the undead. The joy of killing undead never seems to fade. That is until the fearful shrieking.
Will dc 20 (fear):1d20 + 13 ⇒ (2) + 13 = 15
I assume he is immune to fear effects with my intimidate?
The fear that undead cause, that unnatural, cold, and powerful fear... that is something that never seems to fade either. Fenrick is noticeably effected by the shriek which the undead takes advantage of with a follow up strike. Fenrick snaps to it to fend off the next attack.
Not much of a talker? Well, Pharasma judges you to be unworthy of existence. With Her holy protection and destruction, I will end you.Using judgement:Protection and Destruction on this enemy.
Fenrick then finally lays into this enemy with inhuman speed, hoping to finish it off before it can attack him again.
Cold iron Falchion:1d20 + 12 + 3 + 3 + 1 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (8) + 12 + 3 + 3 + 1 + 2 - 2 = 27 +3 from wrath, +3 from divine favor, +1 from haste, +2 from bane, -2 from shaken.
Damage (S):2d4 + 13 + 3 + 3 + 2d6 + 2 + 3 ⇒ (4, 4) + 13 + 3 + 3 + (6, 5) + 2 + 3 = 43 +3 from wrath, +3 from divine favor, 2d6+2 from bane, +3 from judgment... Well I hope that hits. Near max damage right there haha
Cold iron Falchion:1d20 + 12 + 3 + 3 + 1 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (12) + 12 + 3 + 3 + 1 + 2 - 2 = 31 +3 from wrath, +3 from divine favor, +1 from haste, +2 from bane, -2 from shaken.
Our Wizard Friend; αμαυρωμένος φίλος; विन्डस्पीकर | N Male Human Wizard (Scroll Scholar) (Diviner) 12 | HP: 90/90 | Magic | Perception +35, Sense Motive +18 | Speed 30 | AC: 27 (T 17, FF 21) | CMD: 31 | F +8, R +12, W +13 | Init +23 | Resist 10 acid, cold | Active Effects: detect scrying, fortification 50%, endure elements, mythic mage armor,statue, darkvision, freedom of movement (13/13 rounds remaining); 1 Reroll
The Witness Witnessed: Part X:
The Witness quickly stows his rod in his haversack before attempting to grab hold of his double, but his clumsy attempt belies his inexperience in hand to hand combat. I must try to incapacitate it quickly, before it brings an effective offense to bear or escapes.
Your duplicate hesitates for a moment, clearly aware that his ghostly enemy has become a much more significant threat, but in the end his fiery anger prevails and he charges after you despite the opportunity it presents Oolong.
Your second blow isn't quite as devastating as your opening attack had been, but it still tears open another large gash your undead opponent. Your next attack slips into opening created by the first hit and, with a violent crunching sound, breaks through its spine. As you wind up for another attack, its top half wobbles then the last bit of rotting flesh tears as the upper portion topples off the lower. Both parts of it collapse to the ground and, like the objects in the chambers, turn to vapor and dissipate.
As the corpse vanishes, a field of dark energy, much like the portals you passed through in the earlier chambers, fills the stone archway.
Lol- from a big crit to 1 off of max damage; nice way to start the fight! He had basically the same AC and HP as you (so you might want to stay near your healer if you ever have to fight yourself again).
Witness:
The other you steps back away for you and scowls.
he's no better prepared to mount an effective offensive than I am, or certainly he wouldn't be resorting to grappling...
"So," he remarks unhappily, "two men of learning and it comes to this..."
He reaches into his pack and draws a scroll; reading it, his teeth elongate and narrow and his fingernails become claws as he transforms into a lizardman version of yourselves.
Our Wizard Friend; αμαυρωμένος φίλος; विन्डस्पीकर | N Male Human Wizard (Scroll Scholar) (Diviner) 12 | HP: 90/90 | Magic | Perception +35, Sense Motive +18 | Speed 30 | AC: 27 (T 17, FF 21) | CMD: 31 | F +8, R +12, W +13 | Init +23 | Resist 10 acid, cold | Active Effects: detect scrying, fortification 50%, endure elements, mythic mage armor,statue, darkvision, freedom of movement (13/13 rounds remaining); 1 Reroll
The Witness Witnessed: Part XI:
The Witness lets out a resigned sigh. "I agree - a highly unsatisfying method of resolution. You have my sincerest apologies; where logic and philosophy fail, it would seem brute force must prevail."
Without further delay, the wizard engages his double in a regrettable contest of martial skill.
Cleric 13 (Theologian) HP:149/149 AC:28 TO:17 FF:23 F:15 R:13 W:19 Percept:+30 Sense Motive:+28 Init:+7 Fire Resist:20 CMD:16 Active effects: . mailbox paid until Tower day:63
Oolong was rite:
reflex save:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27
Gavin dodges the worst of the flames and sets to helping Oolong deliver some punishment. Employing the rod again, Gavin summons a ball of flame to his hands, but the flames quickly change to bubbling, hissing acid.
Casting continual flame and converting it to acid.
While you and your double might have faced an embarrassment of riches in any number of intellectual pursuits, the scrum that follows is only an embarrassment. Seconds turn to minutes, and minutes begin to drag on as you both struggle to land physical attacks, and find them less damaging than you would like when they do connect. Your blessing of knowledge proves a valuable edge and the rest of his mirror images are dealt with relatively quickly. Your biggest advantage, however (besides the blessing of the crocodile which made this melee possible), is your blessing of healing: throughout the lengthy fight your continual healing makes the war of attrition a rather one sided endeavor.
Eventually, you do prevail and your double, marred by many bite marks, collapses. Once he falls, he, like the objects in the earlier chambers, turns to vapor and quickly dissipates. Once he does, a dark energy field, like the portals you have passed through previously, erupts within the stone archway.
Gavin:
You cast produce flame(per our PM conversation) with your metamagic rod, and a blade of acid springs into being in your hand. What follows is a disappointingly lengthy and thoroughly unenjoyable slog of a fight. Between the damage from your thrown acid blades and Oolong's now far more effective attacks, the other you is forced to heal himself several times. He gets one more burning hands spell off (for 9d4 ⇒ (1, 3, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 2, 3) = 19, DC 17 Ref for half) before effectively running out of ways to injure you. That doesn't stop him from trying; though, in time his rage turns to desperation as he exhausts his healing magic while Oolong continues his relentless barrage of slow but steady attacks.
Long after you wish the fight would end, it finally does as Oolong's ghostly scimitar slashes deep into his chest and he collapses. Like the objects in the earlier chambers, the rage-filled vision of what you could have become turns to vapor and quickly dissipates. Once he does, a dark energy field, like the portals you have passed through previously, erupts within the stone archway.
Our Wizard Friend; αμαυρωμένος φίλος; विन्डस्पीकर | N Male Human Wizard (Scroll Scholar) (Diviner) 12 | HP: 90/90 | Magic | Perception +35, Sense Motive +18 | Speed 30 | AC: 27 (T 17, FF 21) | CMD: 31 | F +8, R +12, W +13 | Init +23 | Resist 10 acid, cold | Active Effects: detect scrying, fortification 50%, endure elements, mythic mage armor,statue, darkvision, freedom of movement (13/13 rounds remaining); 1 Reroll
The Witness Witnessed: Part XII:
Winded from the prolonged melee, The Witness watches with no small measure of remorse as his double dissipates. A wasted opportunity. What insights might we have been capable of should we have engaged in shared discourse rather than combat? Alas, I couldn't risk the chance you were created by this place simply to destroy me. Ironically, had I been better prepared for battle I'd have been more likely to avoid it.
After his moment of reflection The Witness steps through the portal.
Stepping through the portal, you find yourself once again standing on fine white sand next to the lapping waves of a crystal blue body of water. This is no shoal, though. While the waves roll in and out to your right, on your left the beach gives way to rising mountains.
What would you like to do?
Gavin:
You step through the portal and find yourself in another subterranean chamber. This one is different though... the stone is rougher, and darker, but the chamber is actually lighter. A wide tunnel ahead of you leads away, and light is dimly trickling in from it. There's a faint sound too... maybe thunder in the distance, or a soft surf?
What would you like to do?
Witness:
Stepping through the portal, you once again find yourself standing on a mountain plateau. This one is different though... the muted reds and browns of earth and stone have been replaced by a dark volcanic stone. Below you lush greenery coats the lower elevations. In the distance you hear a noise that could possibly be far off thunder but, based on the slightly salty smell on the air, is more likely a softly crashing surf somewhat nearby.
What would you like to do?
Fenrick:
After taking a moment to calm yourself, and offer thanksgiving to the Lady of Graves, you step through the portal and find yourself once again standing on a mountain plateau. This one is clearly different though... the stone is almost black, and down below you all sorts of plants and trees are growing on the lower slopes. In the distance you think you can barely hear a sound something like thunder?
